PSGB Postgraduate Courses

Useful sites for finding advertised PhD positions:

• http://www.jobs.ac.uk/
• http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/
• http://www.newscientistjobs.com/

University departments involved in primate research

The following university departments offer taught or research based postgraduate courses involving primatology. Click on the links to identify the specific research interests of each department and potential PhD supervisors. Contact details for course administrators are given for taught Masters programmes but it is advisable to contact potential supervisors directly with enquiries regarding PhD research. This is by no means a comprehensive list but the link below provides details of all UK universities.

http://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/ukinfo/uk.map

• University of St Andrews
• University College London
• Bolton Institute
• University of Cambridge
• University of Oxford
• University of Liverpool
• University of Portsmouth
• Oxford Brookes University
• Durham University
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Stirling
• University of Sussex
• Anglia Polytechnic University
• The University of Roehampton (Surrey, London)
• University of Kent (Canterbury)
• The University of Reading

Oxford Brookes University

School of Social Sciences and Law
http://ssl.brookes.ac.uk/primate/

The MSc in Primate Conservation at Oxford Brookes has recently been awarded the prestigious Queen's Anniversary Award for the high-quality professional and scientific training it provides students for a life-long career in conservation. This increasingly popular course is ideal for highly motivated individuals wanting to work in the field of primate conservation as training is given in all relevant areas, including primate biogeography, human-wildlife conflict, genetics, captive management, environmental education and research methods. The department is also home to the Nocturnal Primate Research Group (http://www.nprg.org/home.html). PhD positions are available.

Contact:
Ms Iris Geens
igeens@brookes.ac.uk

Roehampton University

School of Human and Life Sciences
http://www.roehampton.ac.uk/hals/subjectareas/biologicalsciencespgcourses.html

Roehampton now offer two masters programmes in primatology. The MRes Primatology degree focuses on primate biology and the new MSc in Primate Biology and Conservation applies primate biology research to conservation issues. A Centre for Research in Evolutionary Anthropology (CREA) was founded in 2002, with research being carried out in a range of primatology fields. This department also has links with Gashaka Gumti National Park in Nigeria, where is focuses primarily on baboon research.

Contact:
Dr Caroline Ross
c.ross@roehampton.ac.uk

University of St Andrews

The School of Psychology
http://psy.st-andrews.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate.shtml

Members of this department co-founded the Scottish Primate Research Group (http://psy.st-andrews.ac.uk/research/sprg/index.htm) in 1987. The department has a specialist team researching the origins of cognition and has links with Edinburgh Zoo and the Budongo Forest Project in Uganda. Research training can lead to a Masters of Research (M.Res) or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

NEW 1-year postgraduate course "Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Evolutionary and Comparative Psycyhology: The origins
of Mind" (http://psy.st-andrews.ac.uk/admissions/msc_origins.shtml)

University College London

The Evolutionary Anatomy Unit
http://pc74.anat.ucl.ac.uk/

Research areas include growth, development and evolution of the primate cranium.

Department of Anthropology
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/anthropology/

MSc Anthropology, Environment and Development / MSc Human Evolution and Behaviour / MRes Anthropology - optional module in Primate Socioecology taught by Professor Volker Sommer. The department offers research opportunities at the Gashaka Primate Project in Nigeria, one of the largest long-term primate research and conservation projects in West Africa (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/gashaka/home/). A key research area is primate ecology and behaviour and PhD positions are available in this field.

Contact:
Diana Goforth - Departmental Postgraduate Secretary
d.goforth@ucl.ac.uk

University of Bolton

Department of Psychology and Life Sciences
http://data.bolton.ac.uk/psychology/

MPhil and PhD degree programmes with the option of researching a primate behavioural topic.

Contact:
Professor Rob Ranyard - Psychology Research Team Leader
rr1@bolton.ac.uk

University of Cambridge

Department of Biological Anthropology
http://www.bioanth.cam.ac.uk/

MPhil in Biological Anthropology / MPhil in Biological Anthropological Science - Masters and PhD research topics can fit within the following research groups: Primate Biology & Behaviour and Primate Immunologenetics & Molecular Ecology.

School of the Biological Sciences
http://www.bio.cam.ac.uk/

Department of Zoology
http://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/

This department also offers MPhil and PhD degrees and there are specialists in the department that focus on evolutionary genetics.

Contact:
admissions@gradstudies.cam.ac.uk

University of Oxford

Institute of Biological Anthropology
http://www.bioanth.ox.ac.uk/
The department has a major interest in primate evolutionary biology, with strong links with the Budongo Forest Project in Uganda (http://www.budongo.org/).

Contact:
enquiries@bioanth.ox.ac.uk

University of Liverpool

School of Biological Sciences
http://www.liv.ac.uk/bio/

This department has a Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Psychology Research Group which focuses on the behavioural ecology of non-human primates. PhD programmes are offered, along with the following taught masters course - MSc Evolutionary Psychology
(http://www.liv.ac.uk/bio/postgrad/masters/evolutionary_psychology/msc_evopsych.html)

Contact:
Dr Craig Roberts
craig.roberts@liv.ac.uk

Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Biology
http://www.liv.ac.uk/hacb/root/department%20of%20human%20anatomy%20and%20cell%20biology/index.htm

This department has a Primate Evolution and Morphology Group (http://www.liv.ac.uk/premog/) with the main area of research being concerned with the adaptation and evolution of the locomotor systems of primates and hominids.

University of Portsmouth

Department of Psychology
http://www.port.ac.uk/departments/academic/psychology/

The Centre for the Study of Emotion (http://www.port.ac.uk/departments/academic/psychology/research/studyofemotion/) has research interests in primate non-verbal communication, gaze processing and comparative developmental psychology.

University of Durham

Department of Anthropology
http://www.dur.ac.uk/anthropology/

MSc Biological Anthropology - a programme in biological anthropology covering the major subject areas of evolutionary theory and the study of adaptation; primatology and human evolution; human variation and genetics; human ecology and health. PhDs and MPhil degrees are offered in The Evolutionary Anthropology Research Group (http://www.dur.ac.uk/anthropology/research/earg/). See staff details for a list of the primate researchers and their interests.

Contact the anthropology director of postgraduate study:
anth.postgrad-studies@durham.ac.uk

University of Edinburgh

The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
http://www.vet.ed.ac.uk

MSc/Diploma Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare (http://www.vet.ed.ac.uk/animalbehaviour/index.html).

Contact:
mvmpg@ed.ac.uk

University of Stirling

School of Biological and Environmental Sciences
http://www.sbes.stir.ac.uk/

The Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Research Cluster has researchers involved in great ape conservation. PhD positions are available.

Contact:
sbes1@stir.ac.uk

Department of Psychology
http://www.psychology.stir.ac.uk/

MSc/Diploma in Evolution and Behaviour (http://www.psychology.stir.ac.uk/postgrad/MSCEvolution&Beahviour.php)
This department is home to the Behaviour and Evolution Research Group (BERG) (http://www.psychology.stir.ac.uk/research/BERG.php) which is part of the Scottish Primate Research Group. Primate research is a distinctive feature of this department with research being conducted through collaborative links with research institutes, zoos and fieldsites in Europe, the USA, Africa, South America, and Asia. Research within the group covers a wide range of areas including: behaviour, cognition, conservation, ecology, welfare and the performing arts. Species studied include chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, baboons, mandrills, macaques, capuchins, squirrel monkeys, marmosets and tamarins.

University of Sussex

Department of Biology and Environmental Science
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/biology/index.php

Dr David Hill looks at the Ecology and Conservation of forest mammals and their habitat, including the social behaviour, feeding behaviour and conservation of Japanese macaques; effects of seed dispersal by monkeys; crop raiding and other sources of conflict between people and wildlife. See his home page at http://www.biols.susx.ac.uk/home/David_Hill/.

Contact:
Karen White, Graduate School Coordinator
pglifesci@sussex.ac.uk

Department of Psychology
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/psychology/

Dr. David Leavens has research interests in primate non-verbal behaviour and the evolutionary psychology.
(http://www.sussex.ac.uk/psychology/profile114996.html)

Anglia Ruskin University

Department of Life Sciences
http://www.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/home/faculties/fst/departments/lifesciences.html

This department has an Animal Behaviour Research Unit (ABRU) based in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania (http://web.apu.ac.uk/appsci/lifesci/abru/). One of the main activities of the ABRU is the long-term observation of yellow baboon behaviour and ecology.

Contact:
Guy Norton (ABRU Director)
g.norton@anglia.ac.uk

OR

Dawn Hawkins (ABRU Research Associate)
d.hawkins@anglia.ac.uk

University of Kent

Department of Anthropology
http://www.kent.ac.uk/anthropology/dice/dice.html

The Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology at the University of Kent offers a number of conservation related masters programmes, including an MSc in Conservation Biology and an MSc in International Wildlife Trade and Conservation. Following examined modules students undertake a 6 month dissertation which can (and frequently has) focused upon primate conservation (see the list of previous research projects using the following link - http://www.kent.ac.uk/anthropology/dice/postgrad/conbio_diss.html).

Contact:
Dr Richard Griffiths (MSc Conservation Biology)
R.A.Griffiths@kent.ac.uk

OR

Dr Alison Rosser (MSc International Wildlife Trade and Conservation)
A.M.Rosser@kent.ac.uk

The University of Reading

School of Biological Sciences
http://www.biosci.reading.ac.uk/Teaching/MscWildlife.htm

MSc Wildlife Management and Conservation - Some modules are relevant to primatology and the research project can cover an aspect of primate conservation.

Contact:
Christine Adamson
c.e.adamson@reading.ac.uk

Zoological Society of London (ZSL) - Institute of Zoology

http://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/ioz/

This is the research arm of the Zoological Society of London, which is run in partnership with the University of Cambridge. The Institute offers research training though PhD studentships. The research conducted here covers many fundamental aspects of the biological sciences which have relevance to the conservation of animal species and their habitats. Two masters programmes ran in association with the Royal Veterinary College are also available.